Knowing & Planning What to Say in Less than 5 Min!

I am so excited to share a skill that changed my whole life. When I was on the debate team in high school, I learned a skill that's served me my entire professional career. Any time I'm speaking for a minute, five minutes, 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes, or an hour I do exactly what I am about to share with you. As you are reading if anyone you know can benefit, please share this article.

FOUNDATION

Know your audience. When you speak, no matter the situation, the first thing to ask is, who am I speaking to? Do not dismiss the simplicity of this. I see this one messed up all the time. People speaking in a way that isn't appropriate for their audience is super common. So, know your audience. Know who you're speaking to before you plan anything, so you understand the culture and best language to use. Stay away from anything the group either doesn't understand or is too simple.

Next, before you say anything or plan your speech, ask yourself what matters? What matters most to my audience? What's important to them? What's in it for them? What do they care about?

Next, get really clear on what is it you're communicating? Is it a change in a procedure, an idea, an event, or a change? Know what you want to communicate.

Now, here's the magic. You know the audience, what matters most to your audience, and what you want to communicate. Now, it's time to connect the three. Ask yourself, how can I connect what I want to share with what matters most to this audience? And how can I communicate it in the best way possible, so my audience understands?

BODY OF YOUR SPEECH

Now let's get to the mechanics. Super simple. Do not dismiss this. I do this all the time. I walk around with my notebook, and if I get asked to speak impromptu, I do what I'm about to tell you. I always do this no matter how much or how little I have to prepare. This always works.

First, write out your hook. Capture your audience's attention. Say something that matters. If you're sharing an event, you want to explain why it's going to be great. If you're about to share a change, you're going to say something intense that will spark your audience interest. If you're sharing an idea, you're going to start with something interesting. Figure out what is the most interesting thing you can say about what is going to be communicated?

Next, identify the three things you want to say. Three things help you mentally organize and will guide the structure of your speech. Not only does this help you organize your thoughts, but it will help you give a road map to your audience, and it will help prepare your audience by sharing statements like, "Three reasons why you need to go to this event." or "Three reasons why this policy change is important."

The last part is the conclusion. Summarize your three points, and again, express why it's so important. Remember what's in it for them. Connect what you're trying to convey with what's in it for them in the best language possible for your audience. End with a call to action. What do you want from your audience? Do you want them to follow up with you? Do you want them to go? Do you want them to share the message with somebody? Do you want them to follow up with you if they're interested in more information? Whatever it is, a very clear call to action is super important! This is the most common missed opportunity I SEE. People need to know what you want. If you don't tell them what to do, they're just going leave and go on with their life and your precious time was wasted.

CONCLUSION

Every time I speak, I use what I have shared with you, and it's been very effective. I get good feedback when feel like I'm communicating effectively. I hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions either add them in the comments or message me.

I'm rooting for your success. Happy public speaking. :) Karla

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For more COMMUNICATION CLICK HERE